


Strange Comfort

by Sashataakheru



Series: Taskmaster Advent Calendar 2018 [14]
Category: The Royal Variety Performance (UK TV) 2018
Genre: Backstage, Comforting, Cuddles, Ficlet, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Punishment, Subspace, Taskmaster Advent Calendar 2018, Touch, advent calendar fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 12:22:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17001591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: Taskmaster Advent Calendar Dec 15: CuddlesAlex is not used to others recognising when he needs comforting, particularly not when he’s in the middle of being punished.





	Strange Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I just had to get this idea out of my head kthx bc I've been staring at [this screencap](https://sashataakheru.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/trvp2018-00480.png) for far too long sorry. D:

“Are you really alright, Alex?”  
  
Alex didn’t quite register his voice, nor what he’d asked him, but then there was a lot going on in his head, to be fair. His master had touched him, had gripped his shoulder harder than he might have expected because he wasn’t trying to soothe him, and there’d been singing, and none of it had made him feel any better at all.  
  
And now he was alone, his master had run off, and he was deeper into subspace than he’d ever been in public before. All he could hear was his master’s anger in his head. He looked up at Rick, and was surprised to see genuine concern in his eyes.  
  
“I-I don’t know. I think so?”  
  
Alex was sure he just looked baffled at that point, but then he was being pulled into a gentle, warm hug, and Alex flinched, because he wasn’t expecting it, and he didn’t quite know what to do except hug him back, because that’s all he really wanted at that moment.  
  
Well, no, what he really wanted was his master back. But that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.  
  
But perhaps he let Rick walk him back to his dressing room, and maybe he sat with him until he felt better, appreciating the way he just held him gently and made sure he was alright, even if Alex didn’t really want to speak in case he got in trouble. But Alex wasn’t sure any of it really comforted him. 


End file.
